Copter crash victim’s family buys château
Almost a year to the day since the helicopter crash that claimed the life of James Gregoire of Château de la Rivière, his family has bought Château Ripeau in St Emilion.
Acting on the wishes of Gregoire, his widow Monique and sons Cyrille and Nicolas have acquired the 37-hectare Grand Cru Classé estate for an undisclosed fee.
The Gregoires have been working with current owners Barbara Janoueix Coutel and Louis de Wilde on the 2014 vintage, with Cryrille set to manage the estate next year.
In a tragedy that rocked Bordeaux last December, James Gregoire died after the helicopter he was flying plunged into the river near Château de La Riviere during a celebratory tour of the estate by air a day after it was sold.
Buyer Lam Kok, a Chinese businessman, also died in the accident along with his young son and financial adviser, Peng Wang.
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French rescue teams scoured the cold waters of the Dordogne for weeks before recovering the bodies.
The sale of Château Ripeau will be finalised in January. The Gregoire family also owns Château Bois Noir, Château Puynard and a 50% stake in négociant Vintex.
